USA TODAY Sports provides your March Madness therapy.

AT THE WATER COOLER: The NCAA tournament's opening weekend led to the loss of the country's biggest stars.

National player of the year front-runner Doug McDermott ended his career as Creighton bowed out in a third-round loss to Baylor. And the projected top three picks in June's NBA draft are sitting at home: Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid are out of the field thanks to Stanford's upset, and Duke's Jabari Parker is contemplating his future following the Blue Devils' stunning second-round loss to Mercer.

That doesn't mean Sweet 16 teams are lacking star power. Every NCAA tournament, a hero arises. In other words, there's no Butler without Gordon Hayward, and there's no Davidson without Steph Curry. The most memorable stars, of course, are the ones we never saw coming. The process goes something like this: Who? What? How? Awesome.

There's no right way to break down the best players who are still playing in the tournament. If we base it off the player's value to his team, though, since these teams are ultimately there because of players stepping up, then we have a great debate. Again, best and valuable are two different adjectives. Think of it this way: If this player's respective team wins the title, that player is the main reason why. So without further ado, the Sweet 16's 25 most valuable players.

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida: Surprised? You shouldn't be. The SEC Player of the Year injects life in this veteran-laden Florida team. The floor general is the driving force behind the Gators' 28-game winning streak.

T.J. McConnell, Arizona: Surprised again? Don't be. Nick Johnson might be the Wildcats' best offensive player and Aaron Gordon has NBA talent, but McConnell orchestrates Sean Miller's offense to perfection, leads vocally and by example and gives 'Zona the key ingredient it's been missing for a long time as a true, pass-first point guard.

Kyle Anderson, UCLA: The 6-9 point guard is the main reason for the Bruins' success, which has included two convincing NCAA tournament wins and a Pac-12 tournament championship. He can do it all for UCLA, and it wouldn't be insane to predict a triple-double from Anderson.

DeAndre Kane, Iowa State: Let's just get this out of the way: Big Daddy Kane is the truth. He had 24 points and 10 rebounds in Iowa State's come-from-behind victory against North Carolina in which Kane made a game-winning lay-up.

Shabazz Napier, UConn: He's undoubtedly the reason the Huskies are in the Sweet 16. The senior guard had 25 points in UConn's upset win against Villanova following his 24-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist performance to lift UConn past St. Joe's in the second round.

Nik Stauskas, Michigan: The sharp-shooting sophomore is one of the best scorers in the country — scoring off the ball and off the dribble. He also can create for others, shown in his 17 points and eight assists vs. Texas.

Julius Randle, Kentucky: The Wildcats' double-double machine has been compared to a "pit bull" by coach John Calipari for his tenaciousness on both sides of the ball. He's Kentucky's most important player, even if he's not leading the team in scoring.

Russ Smith, Louisville: The senior guard has toned down his Russdiculousness this season and has been more patient offensively, creating for others more and turning it over less. Oh, and he's pretty good at putting the ball in the basket, too.

Nick Johnson, Arizona: The junior guard is a great scorer and has been hitting big shot after big shot for the Wildcats en route to player of the year consideration. He's had 35 points in Arizona's two NCAA tournament games.

Xavier Thames, San Diego State: "X" as coach Steve Fisher likes to call him is the key cog in an underrated San Diego State squad. He's capable of stopping star players defensively and getting the Aztecs a key bucket when they need it as well.

Jordan McRae, Tennessee: The 6-6 athletic wing has been the Volunteers' best player for the past two seasons and he's taken on a bigger scoring load this season. He had 21 points in a big second-round win against UMass and 20 points in the Vols' overtime win against Iowa.

Gary Harris, Michigan State: Along with backcourt mate Keith Appling, Harris is instrumental in a high-octane offense. Harris doesn't have to shoot well to be effective, but when he does the Spartans are tough to beat.

Sam Dekker, Wisconsin: It's rather difficult to pinpoint the most valuable player on Wisconsin's roster, since so much of the team's success is based on Bo Ryan's efficient system and the Badgers truly exude a team dynamic. However, Dekker is the guy who can strap this team to his back and spearhead a run.

Joe Harris, Virginia: It's also tough to pick out the best player on the Cavaliers, especially with the emergence of athletic sophomore Malcolm Brogdon. But in coach Tony Bennett's slow-paced offense, Harris is the prototype for what UVa needs to succeed — hitting big shots after time's been wound out on the clock and doing so in high volume.

Casey Prather, Florida: He's been one of Florida's top offensive weapons all season, and the Gators will need his instant offense to reach the Final Four.

Chasson Randle, Stanford: While Dwight Powell gives coach Johnny Dawkins' offensive system a great inside-out threat, Randle has the ability to create in a bevy of ways for the Cardinal. The ball will be in his hands if the game is close in the final minutes.

Aaron Gordon, Arizona: Gordon has continued to fly under the radar in a highly touted freshman class, but his impact at Arizona can't go unnoticed. Gordon's versatility has been instrumental in keeping opponents on their toes and he's stepped up big time in the absence of starter Brandon Ashley.

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville: The sophomore big man has blossomed this season with a much bigger role than last season. His 22 points and 11 rebounds in Louisville's AAC tournament title victory against UConn is just a sample of his ability.

Andrew Harrison, Kentucky: Along with his twin brother, Aaron, and fellow starting guard James Young, the UK backcourt needs to be strong for a Final Four run. Andrew has a bit of a tougher job, as the bulk of the decision making falls on him as the point guard. His 20 points were crucial in the Wildcats' win against Wichita State.

Jordan Adams, UCLA: The 6-5 guard gives the Bruins a scorer to lean on when they need a big bucket. He's averaged 20 points in UCLA's first two NCAA tournament wins.

Melvin Ejim, Iowa State: He can score and is as explosive as any player in the country. Case in point came Feb. 8 when he had 48 points and 18 rebounds vs. TCU.

Brady Heslip, Baylor: He's not the Bears' best player by any stretch. That title belongs to Cory Jefferson or Kenny Chery or even Isaiah Austin. But when Heslip is hitting from the perimeter, this team typically prevails.

Dyshawn Pierre, Dayton: He's been the Flyers' most reliable player in huge upset victories against Ohio State and Syracuse.

Scott Gleeson, a national college basketball writer/digital producer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.

MARCH SADNESS: THE AGONY OF DEFEAT IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Kentucky Wildcats walk off the court after loosing to the Connecticut Huskies 60-54 in the championship game of the Final Four. Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft (4) reacts after missing a game ending shot in the second half of a men's college basketball game against the Dayton Flyers during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at First Niagara Center. Mark Konezny, USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Buffaloes guard Xavier Talton (3) reacts during the second half of a men's college basketball game against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

American University Eagles guard John Schoof (22) sits on the bench as the clock winds down during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Wisconsin defeated American University 75-35. Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports